This was custom built for Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre by luthier Hugh Manson in 1995 and is the very guitar featured on the inside sleeve of Martin’s solo album 'Stage Left' (see pix below).
Main features include...
• Double cut str*t shaped body
• Quilted maple top
• Very thin clear satin finish on body
• 22-fret maple bolt-on neck
• Ebony fingerboard
• 25 1/2" scale length
• Side marker dots
• Black Wilkinson trem with three rear springs (arm included)
• Black sperzel tuners
• Currently strung 9/11/16/24/32/42
• One body-mounted passive humbucker
• Two body-mounted EMG active single coils
• Two pots with push/pull
• Three mini toggle switches
The wiring is quite complex and I won't pretend I ever fully got to the bottom of what all the knobs and switches do!
Suffice it to say, there are many tonal options. A stereo cable can apparently be used to split the output between two different amps.
Condition is excellent. Despite its pro ownership, it has surprisingly few dings and scratches (such as on the back, near the neck) and no actual damage anywhere. The frets are also in excellent condition, with no nasty buzzes.
The guitar came to me in a gig bag (yeah, I know) but will be supplied to the winner in a used, but serviceable hard case.
I know there may be quite a few questions on this, so feel free to ask and I can supply more pix / details as necessary.
This is a unique instrument, built to Martin's requirements, so who knows how much it cost...
... but I know cash is in
short supply at the moment, so I'm asking what I believe is a very
reasonable figure of £1650 £1500 cash / PPG
Trades-wise, I'm after a 1978 Les Paul Standard or other high-end Les Paul, a Cornford RK100 or Soldano SLO.
This
is a reluctant sale, but I’ve barely played it in all the time I’ve had
it and it deserves to get more use. It's spent it's time at home in my
studio safe, so has been well looked after.
Personal collection
with cash is fine and so is Bank Transfer or Paypal Gift (but collection will
not be possible until all monies have fully cleared to my bank account
in the last two cases).
I don't want to ship this, for obvious
reasons, but will happily meet-up part-way up to 50 miles radius of
Telford for £20 fuel or 100 miles maximum for £30 fuel.
I think, therefore.... I... ummmm........
Comments
If that had been the Hamer Chapparal custom he used for Quest of a Knave, I'd be out selling both kidneys.
Lovely guitar
However, whilst I like the mix and match idea, I wouldn't fancy wiring-up my own attempt at a hybrid!
Trades-wise, I'm after a 1978 Les Paul Standard or other high-end Les Paul, a Cornford RK100 or Soldano SLO.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
BUT I have no money to buy such a thing. :-)
Thanks anyway for the reassurance that someone is actually interested